


Warm Her Heart

by Typhoon_56



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Space Wives, Tardis Fam is Back
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-05-09
Packaged: 2019-10-06 06:12:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17340056
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Typhoon_56/pseuds/Typhoon_56
Summary: When the Doctor receives a distress call she will always answer it, but this time she won't be prepared for what she finds.





	1. Frostbite

**Author's Note:**

> First fanfic so it's a bit of a work in progress!

The Tardis thrummed rhythmically as it left the cloudy city of Sheffield behind along with the Doctors latest companions. After their trip to the beach planet Rivershore accidently ended with being chased by giant shrimp that developed a taste for the locals flesh, the Doctor gave her friends a break to unwind and a chance to spend some time back at home. 

Whilst the Doctor disliked being alone with her thoughts, she did need to do some repairs to the Tardis and she couldn't do that when there's three people asking for an adventure. So once the silence grew too much for the Doctor, she decided it was time to get started with repairs. After taking off her prized coat and donning a pair of safety goggles she set to work. The sparks began to fly as the Doctor started to cut into one the crystal pillars that had developed a crack after one of the Doctors less than smooth landings. She had intended on cutting part of the pillar away to reveal the extent of the damage inside but the Doctor never got the chance as a repetitive beeping sound echoed through the room instead. 

'Now what?' The Doctor said with a sigh, still tired after yesterday's events (at least she thinks it was yesterday, you never can tell when time travelling.) The flashing lights of the console were what caused the Doctor to leap to her feet, pushing her goggles up as she strode over to the scanners to see what was happening. 

'A distress call? Okay, where are you coming from?' The Doctor then answered her own question, 'a frozen planet in the middle of nowhere. Right then old girl, looks like someone needs our help so we better get a shift on.'

And with that the Doctor began to set the coordinates for the planet and the Tardis shook as it travelled through the Vortex, the shaking was not helped by the fact that the repairs were only half-done so the ship jarred a bit more than usual before it landed with a soft thump as it rematerialised. 

The Doctor quickly rushed to the door to assess her new surroundings but as soon as the door opened a gust of icy cold air blew in so the door was quickly shut once more. Looking down at the floor the Doctor noticed that a thin layer of snow was beginning to melt, causing the Doctor to race away from the door and into the small corridor to prepare for the weather outside. She grabbed a thick jumper and put that on before putting her coat back on and grabbing a pair of wooly, purple gloves, she was just about to leave when a shelf lit up revealing a brightly coloured rainbow scarf. The Doctor smiled widely before wrapping the item around her neck and saying 'thank you,' to which the Tardis hummed in response before the Doctor ran back towards the door, slipping her gloves on as she went. 

Once more the Doctor opened the door bracing herself, this time ready for the weather outside, before heading out of the doors and shutting it behind her. She looked up and realised she was in was appeared to be a snowstorm, it was complete white-out and the wind was sharp and aggressive which didn't help matters. The Doctor raised her arms in an attempt to see ahead of her, it seemed futile until she spotted something in the distance. With a destination in mind now, she began to trek through the heavy snowfall to try and reach the possible shelter. 

It wasn't long before the Doctor had reached her destination and now she was close up she realised that it was a building of some sort that had large blue domes linked by white corridor shaped tubes. After searching the building with her eyes the Doctor noticed a large metal door at the front of one of the domes, she approached it hoping that it would be unlocked but the door remained sealed tightly after a few pulls on the handle. With shivering arms and shaky hands she managed to reach into her coat pocket and pulled out her sonic screwdriver. After a few seconds of whirring the door began to unlock and opened inwardly so the Doctor quickly let herself in the building before closing the door behind her to trap the harsh elements outside. 

Now that she was inside the building she could begin to find out where the distress beacon had come from and why it had been sent.


	2. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor meets someone she thought she'd never see again

The room the Doctor had entered appeared to be completely metallic, it felt cold and unfeeling until she saw what looked like someone's possessions scattered across a heavy desk. The dim lights above her meant that she didn't see them at first but as her eyes adjusted, she could see the items before her. 

There was a collection of textbooks on the desk, their titles covering a range of topics such as: engineering and mechanics, ancient history and archaeology and there were even books on botany. Beside the books, there were the odd knick knacks and stationary that someone might possess but what caught the Doctor's eye was a piece of paper that seemed to display the schematics of the building. The map showed that the Doctor was in the building's entrance and that the main sections were down the corridor ahead of her. After pocketing the newfound map she began to carefully walk towards the corridor before stepping into the creaky coridoor, the lights continuing to be dim meaning that she couldn't see what was in the room ahead of her. 

'Hello? Anyone there?' The Doctor asked, 'I heard a distress call and I'm here to help.' She paused, hoping for a response but all that she got was the echo of her own voice and the muffled sound of the wind outside. 'Well that's ominous...best foot forward then' the Doctor said before continuing into the room ahead of her. As she stepped into the room, a thrumming sound could be heard before the lights began to flicker on, each one crackling as it did so. 'Ah great! Now I can shed some light on the subject' the Doctor said with a grin before turning around and remembering that she was alone. 'Well I think the fam would be liked that pun, shame it went to waste' she murmured a little disheartenly as she stepped over what appeared to be spilt coffee on the floor and walked over to a computer monitor.

The Doctor then proceeded to type away on the keyboard searching for clues until she came across what looked like a live feed of life signs in the building. On the screen there was a large red dot that pulsated slightly, which the Doctor had concluded was her own life sign. However, she didn't expect to see another red dot right next to it. The Doctor looked puzzled and began to turn around when she heard the whirring of a pulse pistol being loaded, ready to be fired which caused her to freeze her movements. 

'I'm just here to answer a distress call, I'm not here to cause trouble' the muzzle of the gun was then suddenly pressed against the base of her neck. 'Okay, look I'm unarmed so like I said I'm no trouble at all' her assailant scoffed at this before answering. 

'Well that's a pity beause quite frankly I love a bit of trouble' it was a woman's voice that spoke in a tone that sounded like velvet but felt sharper than any blade to the Doctor. It felt as if both of the Doctors heart were being squeezed tightly by someone with a vice-like grip so despite the danger she was in she couldn't resist turning around to face the woman. Once she had she could feel the tears starting to well in her eyes and a lump forming in the back of her throat but somehow she managed to croak out 'River? How are you here?' she said with a crack in her voice and a look of pure sadness on her face that could only have been felt by one person. River's face softened as she slowly lowered her gun, realisation dawning upon her. River then holstered her weapon and took a step towards the Doctor, her eyes flickering over the new face before her as she raised a hand to tuck a stray piece of blonde hair behind its owners ear. Throughout this intimate moment the Doctor just stood there frozen, unsure of what to do until River spoke those magical words that she thought she'd never hear again.

'Hello sweetie' 

Once these words were spoken it was as if the Doctor had broken her trance and she launched herself into River's arms, burying her face into the golden curls as the tears began to fall. River held her wife tightly and whispered words of comfort into her ear. 

They held each other like that for some time, the emotions being too overwhelming for either one of them to let go. But after a while the Doctor's crying subsided and she was just left with the occasional hiccup and sniffle, her wife still holding her and rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her when suddenly the Doctor stepped back from the embrace with a frown on her face. River immediately felt worried about her wife and asked 'Is everything alright my love? What's the matter?' It was a few moments before the Doctor spoke and looked as though she was confused, 'You're taller than me' she said. 

Now it was River's turn to be confused as she realised she was in fact a good few inches taller than the Doctor and she wasn't even wearing her heels, 'Yes I suppose I am. What's does that matter?'

'I knew it! My legs did get shorter this time around, I thought I was imagining things, especially when I couldn't reach things on top shelves anymore. Like when I couldn't reach the biscuits tin and I nearly fell when I was balancing on a broken chair trying to get to them and...' the Doctor was silenced from her ranting by a soft kiss from her wife that still caused both her hearts to skip a beat no matter how many times they kissed. It was a quick kiss but it still left the Doctor's stomach fluttering and caused a grin to appear on her face. 'Brilliant' the Doctor said, causing River to chuckle at her wife's accent. 

The smile on the Doctor's face began to fade slightly however, as she reached for her wife's hands to hold them both in her own for comfort for what she was about to say. 'River, how are you here? When is this for you, do you have your diary?' Whilst the topic of River's timeline usually caused confusion and a lack of actual answers for the Doctor, this time River decided to actually answer her questions for once. 

'Well I don't have my diary anymore since it was almost full. But by the look on your face and the fact that I haven't seen this face before, I'm guessing that you've already done Darillium.' The meer mention of that place caused the Doctor to feel saddened again as she nodded solemnly in confirmation. 

At the confirmation however, River didn't appear disheartened or upset she actually looked happy. So with a quick squeeze of the Doctors hands in reassurance she spoke with pure happiness, 'Sweetie, I've done Darillium as well... and I've already been to the Library.'

The Doctor's eyes widened as she looked at her wife with a look of confusion before letting out a sob once more, except this time out of sheer joy. 'You did it. You found a way, you have to tell me how you made it out of there?'

River's joy multipled along with the Doctor's as her emotions could be so contagious, 'I'll tell you everything once we're off this iceblock of a planet and on the Tardis, Okay?' The Doctor agreed to this quickly, the promise of answers seemed to be enough as she was still basking in the joy of being reunited with her love. The couple were just about to leave, still hand-in-hand when the Doctor remembered why she came to the planet anyway. 'The distress call! That's why I came here, do you know why it was set off?' 

Her wife replied with a calming tone that instantly relaxed the Doctor, 'This was a research base I believe, from the data I found on the computer there was a terrible storm so the researchers had to evacuate and they never came back for their stuff I guess.' 

'Oh that makes sense I guess, the weather is horrible here. It reminds me of when I met this species whose King was literally made of ice, the entire kingdom was made of ice too. I was freezing the entire time.' The Doctor said, shivering at the memory as they continued to walk through the corridor back towards the main entrance. 'That doesn't explain why you were here though. How did you get here?'

'Oh, after I got out of the library I managed to get another vortex manipulator, I was trying to find you when it malfunctioned and brought me here instead. I used some of the parts of the manipulator to amplify the distress signal so that someone would find me. I didn't think it would reach you to be honest so that's why I was a bit shocked to find you here.' The couple at this point had reached the entrance.

The Doctor scoffed at her wife's words and sounded exasperated, 'A bit shocked? You had a gun pointed at me! And you know how I feel about guns.'

'Oh please. Like you don't like seeing me with a gun, you always did like a bad girl' River said with a wink, causing the Doctor to go a shade of red. 'I'm glad to see I can still make you blush and look like a tomato. Right then shall we head to the Tardis, I hope you didn't park far away' River said with her hand resting on the door handle. The Doctor then stepped towards her, 'For the record I do not look like a tomato...'

'Whatever you say dear' 

'...and the Tardis is a bit of a walk I'm afraid so here' The Doctor said whilst removing her scarf to put around her wife's neck in an attempt to keep her warm as the outfit she wore was not weather appropriate. (Black leather trousers, a white blouse and a denim jacket weren't exactly the best choice for snow.)

River gladly accepted the scaf, wrapping it tightly around her before speaking, 'Ever the gentleman aren't you? Well gentlewoman now and I must say I like the new upgrade. Can't wait to see more of it' River giggled as she gazed at her wife and unashamedly looked her up and down. 

'River! Can we just make it to the Tardis without you making me go tomato red?' The Doctor said, whilst opening the metal door with her sonic and stepping out into the snow. 

'So you admit that you look like a tomato then?' River teased, causing her wife to groan in annoyance before following her wife out of the door.


	3. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and River talk about their feelings, it's mainly just fluff with a smige of angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mainly just spacewives fluff! Hope you enjoy!

The journey back to the Tardis was relatively quiet as the Doctor just kept looking at her wife in disbelief that she was actually there, alive and breathing. River tended to have that affect on her as she truly was breathtaking to the Doctor, her features emphasised by the fact that she stood in such a what was now a beautiful landscape. 

The wind had died down since the Doctor's arrival and now that she could see her surroundings without being attacked by the elements, she realised just how picturesque the scenery around her was. The sky had brightened as well and the sunlight had made the temperature feel less biting-cold and more like a mild spring afternoon. The sunlight had also caused the snow to reflect and appear as though it was shining, making the entire landscape glow a brilliant white. If it wasn't for the Tardis still standing proudly in the distance, standing out against the crisp, white snow the Doctor may not have believed she was on the same planet that she landed on. 

'I haven't seen that look in a long time' River spoke, bringing the Doctor's attention back to her wife once more, causing both of them to slow their pace. 

'And what look would that be? The _'She's sexy when she's right look?'_ Cause if it is then fortunately for you, that look is rather permanent nowadays' The Doctor retorted with a grin that clearly showed that she was a little bit smug with her response, perhaps this regeneration was smoother than she thought. 

'God, you really are infuriating, I hope you know that...' River said with a tone full of mock anger and annoyance. 

'I do indeed' The Doctor chirped. 

'...but actually I was going to say that you looked happier than I think I've even seen you' River added, slightly bittersweetly.

'I don't know about that. 24 years on Darillium was rather nice. I mean waking up to the most extradionary and beautiful sight every morning was amazing... and the view out the window was pretty nice too.' It was then River's turn to blush, as the Doctor stared at her adoringly. 

'Ever the flatterer, aren't you? Whilst I don't doubt that you enjoyed Darillium for one minute, since I am rather extraordinary-' 

_That you are,_ the Doctor added mentally 

'- what I meant was that eyebrows wasn't exactly the emotional type. It was a lot trickier reading him than you, you know? You'd think after 24 years it would've got easier knowing how he felt.' When River uttered the last part, her eyes appeared downcast and the mood felt more solemn than before. 

There was a slight pause as the Doctor began to feel guilty for her past selves actions. Had she really still been that closed off to her wife, even in their domestic bliss? So whilst she pondered her thoughts, the only sound that echoed out was the crunching of the snow beneath their feet as they continued their walk to back to the Tardis. 

Once the Doctor could take the guilt no longer, she stopped in her tracks and gently held Rivers arm- pulling them both to a stop. 'River?.' Whilst she knew that her wife had heard her, River couldn't bring herself to look at the Doctor. 

'Melody. Please look at me.' The use of River's real name caused her to slowly shift her face to meet the Doctor's eyes. 

'I've never been very good at dealing with emotions and that's why I usually end up hurting the people I care about. But I never, ever meant to hurt you or make you think that I didn't care. But somehow I still ended up making you feel like I didn't love you. And I do love you so very much and I just could never put how I felt into words.' 

The Doctor had spoken with a softness to her voice that River hadn't heard before and let her carry on speaking. Words continued to flow out of the Doctors mouth, for once she wasn't holding her true feelings back.

'You've loved me in so many different forms but I never told you how much I loved every encounter that we had or how much I loved every version of you that I met, whether it was as Melody Pond, Mels or as River Song. So if you would be willing to forgive me, I promise that from now on I will always show you how much I love you.' 

By this point the Doctor had surprised herself with her own words, still not used to being so open with her emotions. River was as equally surprised by the sudden outburst of sentimentality, that reminded her why she fell in love with the Doctor in the first place. Because with the Doctor, you never quite knew what she was thinking and the surprise was part of the appeal but now that the Doctors thoughts were out in the open, it felt as though she was seeing the Doctor in a new light entirely. 

River took some controlled breaths in an attempt to stifle her emotions, not wanting the Doctor's newfound ability to express her feelings to be taken over by her own emotions. Once she had taken a moment to process what she had been told, she began to speak, 

'Thank you Doctor. I really needed to hear that, because for so long I've had these doubts in my mind over whether my love for you was returned.' She took another controlled breath and looked away for a moment before continuing, 

'But now I know that you do love me and I you. So I shall put my doubts to rest at last.' She gave a small, reassuring smile to show that she meant every word.

The Doctor flashed a grin in return, which then became a cheeky grin, 'So... does this mean I'm forgiven then?'

River scoffed again, a smile still plastered on her face, 'Of course you are, you fool. Although, I think a trip somewhere nice and a bottle of champagne might help seal the deal' 

'I suppose that's only fair... oh there was one thing more thing I wanted to add' The Doctor said, whilst appearing as serious and innocent as possible, 

'And what was...' 

River never got a chance to finish her thought as the Doctor quickly leaned forward and then suddenly the Doctor's lips were on hers. This kiss however, was more passionate than the last and this time River was the one who felt dumbstruck and didn't react for a second before she started kissing the Doctor back. She then felt her arms being guided by the Doctor's hands to her wife's waist, whilst the Doctor's hands then moved to entangle themselves in Rivers golden hair. The kiss lasted for what seemed like forever, but eventually they had to part for air. Both breathed heavily, with foreheads leaning against one another as the couple caught their breath back. It was the Doctor who broke the silence first, albeit a little breathlessly, 

'Now who's blushing like a tomato?'

This cause River to chuckle, also sounding breathless before she gave a quick peck on the Doctor's cheek before standing up straight. 

'Alright I'll admit I'm impressed. You're certainly smoother this time around.' This confirmation only served to boost the Doctor's ego a little and widened her smile further. However the smile faltered as River frowned as she stared behind the Doctor and remarked 'What is that?!' 

With trepidation the Doctor quickly spun on her heels and turned around, only to be greeted with nothing in front of her except snow. A confused frown formed on the Doctor's face, 'There's nothing there...' 

The Doctor's sentence was then cut short by a fistfull of snow hitting her square in the face, instantly sending creating small waves of brainfreeze and causing her to scrunch her face up in pain. 

When she had managed to wipe the snow off her face she gazed upon River standing in front of her, another snowball in hand and a face full of mischief. Once the Doctor realised what had happened a smile broke out again, 'I'll get you for that!' She yelled as she quickly bent down to scoop some snow into a ball. 

Once she'd finished making her snowball she was met with another direct hit to the face. But as River was now out of ammo the Doctor decided to chase after her wife who was currently laughing and was running back to the Tardis in search of safety, the rainbow scarf fluttering as she went. However, River's lack of weather appropriate shoes slowed her down and the Doctor soon caught up with her, bear-hugging her wife from the back with one arm around her waist whilst the other dropped the snow down the back of River's neck causing her to shriek with laughter as it rolled down her neck and back. 

'Okay! Okay! You win, I surrender!' The Doctor continued to bear-hug her wife for a bit longer before loosening her grip. River now stood next to the Tardis with the Doctor against her back, keeping her warm. 

'Yes I am the ultimate snowball ruler' The Doctor declared as regally and proudly as possible, when River turned in the Doctor's arms so they were now face to face. 

'Of course you are dear. Well don't forget that every ruler has a queen, and yours is the very best' River said with a sense of pride at the thought of being the Doctor's queen. 

'Indeed you are.' Replied the Doctor. 'Now shall we actually go in the Tardis now cause I need to take these damp clothes off and put my pjs on'

'Once again, so close to the perfect sentence' River purred, giving the Doctor a peck on the lips before entering the Tardis. 

The Doctor took a final glance at the icy terrain before going into the Tardis herself and she knew that she would never look at snow the same.


	4. Restoration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Doctor and River are back on the Tardis, so this is basically just a lot of bickering by the old married couple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is kinda a filler chapter showing the dynamic that River and the Doctor have
> 
> Hope you like it!

A slight thump could be heard as the the door to the Tardis was gently closed, the sliver of white light from outside getting smaller as the door shut tightly. The room was then bathed completely in an amber glow, the pillars of the ship still pulsating a soothing orange. All except one pillar of course, as the Doctor still hadn't repaired it. The Doctor made a mental note to actually finish her repairs at some point. But the desire to fix the Tardis was quickly forgotten as the Doctor was soon enthralled with her wife's reactions to the ship's new design. 

River was currently slowing pacing around the centre console, her eyes drawn upwards looking at the brilliant colours around her. As she walked, occasional soft touches were placed upon the controls in awe of the smooth layout. It was a few moments before the Doctor unrooted her feet from their place on the floor, unwilling to disturb the sense of tranquillity that her wife was radiating. Once her feet started moving again she soon found herself standing next to River, the room still silent apart from the gentle thrumming of the Tardis in the background. 

'So what do you think?' She whispered softly, so she wouldn't startle her wife. River had her eyes still glued to the room around her as she replied, 'I think you're not the only one who got an upgrade in the looks department.' The unexpected compliment caused the Doctor to smile and look down, feeling a little embarrassed. The feeling didn't last long though as the Doctor's eyes lit up, sheer joy appearing on her face as she remembered something important.

'You haven't even seen the best bit yet.' The Doctor said with a voice that oozed mystery. 

Curiosity got the better of River and she dragged her gaze back towards the Doctor, who was walking to one side of the console before she pressed her foot down on a pedal that River hadn't seen before. A custard cream biscuit then appeared out of nowhere, which the Doctor then picked up quickly and held it towards River with a look of pride and happiness on her face.

River however didn't quite share the Doctor's sense of achievement and instead felt a bit exasperated. There was a beat before she responded to her wife's antics, 'I married a child.' She said with a pointed look at the Doctor. 

'Hey! It's actually very useful in a emergency so I think it's rather clever' The Doctor retorted, in an mock offended tone. River then looked straight into her wife's eyes, a false smile plastered on her face as she spoke, 'Okay then clever-clogs. Answer me this. Is that pillar suppose to be smoking like that?' River ended with a curt nod gesturing behind the Doctor.

The Doctor slowly turned around, not quite believing her wife after the snowball incident. However, this time the danger behind her was quite real. The pillar that she had been repairing was bellowing a cloud of thick smoke which caused the Doctor to race towards it, eyes widening with concern. River remained as calm and collected as usual, as her voice rang out, 'Don't worry dear. Someone capable is here now to fix it...'

'Thanks, but I don't think I need any help' The Doctor replied, in a panicked tone. 

'...I was talking to the Tardis' River said with a smile. 

The Tardis then made a repetitive thrumming sound that resembled a laugh, 'Oh great, I've got you two ganging up on me.' The Doctor responded, picking up a toolbox that had a tendency to mysteriously vanish every time she searched for it, it was almost as if the Tardis didn't want her to carry out any repair work. 

'Of course, did you expect anything less? Now pass me the screwdriver... one that actually fix things I mean.' The Doctor reached into the toolbox and handed her wife a screwdriver, somewhat reluctantly though as she didn't appreciate the dig at her sonic. The pair of them then set to work, with River kneeling of the floor and the Doctor crouching down, rocking back and forth slightly on the balls of her feet.

It did take quite a lot of time to finish the repairs, partly because the damage was extensive and partly due to the couple bickering over the correct way to carry out the repairs. However, the repairs was eventually completed, with the Doctor exclaiming, 'Ta-da!' And with that, the pillar gave off a small spark and made a crackling noise that sounded like a fuse shorting out. 'It'll be fine...probably. We just won't strain the engines too much.' The Doctor said, closing the panel on the pillar and walking towards the console. 

'So dear, where to? The Tardis is at your disposal.' The Doctor said whilst stepping back from the console and gesturing that the helm was River's. This caused River to feel surprised, 'Really, that's it?' No, _'it's my ship so I'm in charge'_ or ridiculous suggestions of potentially dangerous planets?'

'Nope. I promised that we would go anywhere you wanted. Besides I can tell you want a go at flying her so you can pilot.' River felt both excited and anxious at the thought of piloting the Tardis, the new layout meant she was a little nervous in case she couldn't fly her as well as she once could. Not that she let the Doctor become aware of her doubts, as she still had a smile plastered on her face. 

In order to not disappoint her wife River decided to cast away her doubts and assured herself that she was more than capable still, so with a smile still etched upon her face she spoke, 'Okay I'll fly her then and since you're being so generous I'll even leave the brakes on.' The Doctor's smile grew further at the thought of this since River tended to enjoy correcting the way she flew her ship. Whilst the idea of leaving the breaks on pleased the Doctor, the Tardis herself let out a whine as if to ask why. 

'Sorry dear' was the response River gave to the ship, in an apologetic tone. She then stepped towards the console and went to input some coordinates into the guidance system but instead she ended up just hovering her hand over the screen. 'Everything alright?' The Doctor asked, sounding mildly concerned.

'Yeah... it's just that I was stuck in that library for so long and now I'm free and I can go anywhere I want. But the choice of where to go first is a little overwhelming.' River then felt on edge by her mention of her time in the library and no longer made eye contact with the Doctor. 

The Doctor was now feeling guilty and regretted not considering how her wife was still reeling from her captivity, 'Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't even think about that. Would it help you if I picked where we go?' The Doctor offered in an attempt to take the pressure off of River. 

Thankfully, the offer seemed to have the desired effect as River looked at her again and let out a sigh of relief as the weight of decision-making had been taken off her shoulders. 'Yes, just as long as there's no snow. I think I've had enough of that to last me a lifetime.'

The request was also seconded by the Doctor who then realised that she and River were still wearing the damp clothes that they had on outside, in the midst of repairing the ship they had both forgotten to get changed. The Doctor made a mental note to remind them both to get changed once they had landed... wherever that was going to be. 

'No snow it is then.' The Doctor paused for a moment, thinking about where she could take her wife first. She now understood why River couldn't think of a place to go, as she was struggling to think of a perfect place to take them both. 

It wasn't long however before she managed to think of a place she knew that River would enjoy. 'Got it! I'll just pop the coordinates in now and then you can fly her if you want.' She then quickly inputted the coordinates before turning the screen so River couldn't see where the destination was. 

'The coordinates are locked in. You just need to get us there in one piece.' River seemed to hesitate about starting take-off, this time her nervousness was noticed causing the Doctor to walk over and place her hand on top of River's, gently placing it onto a lever. 'You can do this. I believe in you.' She gave her wife a reassuring smile and her a hand a squeeze before letting go to grab onto one of the console's handles. River then shot another look towards the Doctor, this time the nervousness had disappeared and had been replaced by excitement.

'Off we go' was the last thing River said before pulling the lever down, sending the Tardis into motion. The pillars around them began moving rhythmically and the Tardis core starting whirring loudly, causing River to start laughing and the Doctor then joined in with the laughter as she watched her wife having fun like they used to, like they did when they were young and to them everything was an adventure. However the Doctor already knew that this adventure would be the best one yet.


	5. Reflection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River and the Doctor go on a date and talk about the past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait but this chapter took longer then I thought! 
> 
> I'm not entirely happy with the whole library explanation but it is what it is I guess. Hope you enjoy nevertheless and let me know what you thought of it.

The familiar thrumming sound could be heard as the Tardis materialized on the Doctor's chosen planet. As the noise rang out a grin was still on the Doctor's face, as she never tired of hearing the brakes being left on. Once the sound had stopped, River asked, 'So how did I do?' She asked whilst turning to towards the Doctor, eagerly waiting for an answer.

The Doctor let go of the consoles handles and walked towards her wife before speaking, 'Well we got here in one piece so I'd say it was a success.' 

'So where exactly is here?' River questioned, leaning to one side to try and catch a glimpse of their location on the monitor. The Doctor copied her wife's movement, so she could block the monitor from River's view. 'It won't be a surprise if I tell you. So you'll just have to wait.' The Doctor spoke in a tone that could be compared to a parent scolding their child.

'And no cheating!' The Doctor added, giving her wife a pointed look.

A mock offended look appeared on River's face for a moment but the devilish grin soon reappeared once again, 'Are you implying that I cheat?' 

'No... I'm stating it outright.' The Doctor said, folding her arms to emphasise her point. 'Do you know how many casinos have been put out of business because of your so called 'tactics?' The use of air quotations continued to drive the Doctor's point across.

It was then River's turn to fold her arms as she spoke with exasperation, 'You're just upset because I beat you at monopoly back on Darillium, aren't you?' The mention of the incident caused River to smirk at the memory of the Doctor throwing the board and money into the air and declaring that the game was stupid and a waste of time.

Whilst River enjoyed that particular memory, it only caused the Doctor to tense up slightly and speak through gritted teeth, 'I am not upset... and I did not lose, you cheated!' She declared accusingly.

'Do we really have to have this argument again? Because I already won it the last time we had it.' River replied, sounding a little fed up.

'You cheated at arguing too!' The Doctor cried out in disbelief. 

'You just ended up...distracting me so you'd win' The Doctor continued in a hushed tone, feeling a little embarrassed as she moved her hand to gesture towards River.

River only raised an eyebrow in response before asking, 'Is that what we're calling it now? Alright, but I can't help the fact that I'm very distracting.' She purred, in an attempt to make her wife blush even more. The response in return was said under the Doctor's breath but River still caught it, 'Sure you can't'. The sarcasm dripped off of the Doctor's words. 

'Perhaps. But if memory serves me correctly, both of us technically won after the argument,' River said with a devilish smile and mischief laced in her voice. The mischievous tone seem to contagious as the Doctor soon found herself grinning shyly, 'Bringing out the technicalities I see. Is this how you get out of so much trouble?' 

'Well I do have my other, more preferable methods .' It was fairly obvious as to what these other methods could involve but the Doctor decided not to question it, as she probably wouldn't want to hear what they were anyway. River then continued donning a accusing look once more, 'Besides you're one to talk about trouble.' The Doctor couldn't really argue with that as trouble did seem to follow her around, or maybe she followed it?

The Doctor raised her hands in defeat, wanting to start her plans, 'Touche Professor Song, touche. I guess we both have our own fair share of trouble. Now can we get on with going on our date, please?' The Doctor asked whilst walking towards the corridor, hoping to get going on the trip.

The use of the term date confused River a bit as she wasn't used to the Doctor using human terminology so openly so she expressed her confusion, 'Date?' She asked, sounding surprised as she slowly followed her wife.

'Well yeah, I wouldn't just take anyone to the planet we're on.' The Doctor said with her back still facing away from River until mid-walk she turned around, walking backwards with her hands in her pockets, 'But I suppose I'll make it official, so dearest wife would you go on a date with me?'

'Since you asked so nicely, I would be delighted' River replied, jogging a little to catch up to the Doctor before they bumped shoulders a little as they began walking down the corridor together. 

The Doctor then added, 'But first, we're going to need to get changed because I don't want to get a cold.' Although it was unlikely the Time Lord could catch a common cold, she didn't want to take any chances and besides she wanted an excuse to get changed. 

'Good because you're not exactly the best patient to deal with' River teased, as she remembed how the Doctor acted like a child when he caught Ribellian fever after he kept licking the local fauna and flora, claiming that he was doing 'research.' The Doctor's younger self just ended up pouting as River tried to get him to take his medicine and she had to force him to stay on board the Tardis until he was better.

It wasn't long before River's thoughts shifted from the memory of the Doctor's previous self and instead her thoughts became more mischievous,  'Although I wouldn't take playing Doctors and Nurses off the table just yet.' River said with a wink at her wife.

The Doctor gave another pointed look in return which caused her wife to admit defeat, 'Okay I'll stop!' River said teasingly. 'But only because I haven't seen the new rooms yet and I'm curious to see them.' The Doctor was more than happy to show River the ship, 'Okay follow me.' 

River was enjoying the quick tour of the ship as the ship's layout never failed to amaze her, no matter how different it appeared. The corridor stretched on for some time, going into so many twists and turns that it felt like they were going in circles. Eventually the Doctor found the room she was searching for, it was up a staircase and through a revolving door. 

They had entered a large room that had clothes rails that appeared to go on forever, the layout similar to that of  library shelving units, with an entire unit filled to the brim with shoes. A moving step ladder was even perched against a wall, ready to be used as if someone was picking a book off a shelf. There appeared to be rows of clothes in the room and even a small room that was possibly a dressing room. The room was also bathed in a pale white light, that was bright enough to see the clothing at it's very best but not bright enough to strain the eyes. From what bits of the walls you could see, they were a beautiful golden colour that complented the deep silvery carpet that stretched across the floor. 

Once River had looked around the room she then looked upwards to the Tardis, 'I like the colours. Very nice my dear.' The ship whirred out a thank you.

The Doctor walked over to River and pointed in the direction of a particular row of shelves, 'Clothes in your size are down in that row over there. We don't have to wear anything fancy but take your time finding something you like though.' She then began to walk down a row further that was further down the room. 'I'll be back in a bit,' The Doctor said before disappearing into the aisle.

River walked over to the aisle suggested by her wife and began looking at all the clothes in front of her. The designs of the clothes seemed to range from all different periods of time, from clothes that looked old fashioned and dated to ones that look too futuristic to appear stylish. River began to move the clothes along the rail, brushing her across them to feel the different textures before stopping at a dress that she liked, 'Perfect' River uttered to herself whilst grabbing it off the rail and taking it to the dressing room to put on. The dress she had chosen was a simple white dress that fell to just above her knee and she had taken a pair of heeled black boots off a nearby shelf as she walked past. 

River could hear footsteps outside the dressing room so she headed towards them, adjusting the hem of her dress as she went, 'Doctor? Is that you? I'm nearly ready I just need...' River looked up from fixing her dress to see the Doctor wearing a crisp, white shirt that was perfectly cut for her body with the top buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, form fitting black trousers and sleek black shoes. 

The Doctor was finishing rolling a sleeve up when she noticed that River had stopped mid-sentence to look at her in awe. 'Well I never thought I'd see the day when River Song would be speechless' The Doctor teased with a cheeky grin. 

River then walked towards her wife, putting her arms around her wife's neck. 'You look absolutely stunning' River said, as the Doctor put her hands on River's waist.

'As do you.' The Doctor replied softly.

River's eyes grew mischievous once more, 'Do you mean that or are you just saying it? Go on then, what's nice about it?' 

The Doctor felt put on the spot by the question and yet the questioning felt familiar, as she was sure that eyebrows was asked something similar on Darillium. 

The Doctor knew that she was in dangerous territory but managed to stutter out a reply, 'Um well...er, I don't know where to begin but I'd say the dress is a...nice colour' The Doctor ended with an uneasy look on her face, hoping that her answer was satisfactory. 

Luckily for the Doctor her answer seemed to be good enough as River smiled in return, 'That's a lot better than what eyebrows used to say, I'll admit that. So I'll let you off.' River gave her wife a peck on the lips before stepping away to walk down the coridoor back towards the console room, the Doctor let out a sigh of relief as she had gotten out of trouble before following her wife down the coridoor. 

The couple soon found themsleves back in the console room, 'Shall we?' The Doctor asked, gesturing towards the door. River gave a smile and starting walking to the door when the Doctor suddenly remembered something.

'Wait, I almost forgot.' She then walked around the console and picked a wicker basket off the floor before heading back towards her wife. 

River looked surprised, 'When did you have time to pack that?'

'I'm a time traveller, I have all the time in the universe at my disposal.' The Doctor said boldly with a sense of importance, but it only caused River to give her a pointed look again. 

'Okay so I might've asked the Tardis for some help.' The Doctor admitted.

'Now that sounds more plausible, now let's go' She said whilst grabbing the Doctor's free hand and dragging them both out of the door. 

River couldn't believe the view around her and could only utter out, 'Wow.' It was an understatement really but she couldn't put into words how beautiful the surroundings were. They had landed in what appeared to be a field of lavender-like plants and all around them were fields upon fields of brightly coloured flora. It must have been early evening on the planet as the sun was beginning to dim and the sky was filled with a pinkish hue. Not far from where the couple were standing there was a small hill that had a mixture of different coloured plants and green grass on, as well as a tree that stood tall and proud at the top of the hill.

'There's a nice spot at the top of the hill.' The Doctor said with a slight pull on her wife's hand. The couple then began walking through the purple field and then up the hill.

Once they had made it up the hill they both sat underneath the large tree that resembled a willow tree, its branches swaying gently in the light breeze. 'This view is beautiful' River remarked as she looked at the rows of brightly coloured fields that stretched far into the distance.

'It really is.' The Doctor agreed before opening the basket and examining it's contents. 

River tilted her head slightly so she could also see inside the basket, from where she was sitting she could see the top of a Tupperware box, 'So that's what the basket was for. Never thought you were a picnic kinda person, seeing as you can't sit still long enough.'

'Oi, you!' The Doctor then nudged her wife gently with her elbow. The Doctor smiled as she continued, 'I don't mind sitting still as long as you're next to me. Besides I thought this would be better than some boring, old restaurant.'

'Aren't you sweet? And this is nice, I mean after living next to the galaxy's best restaurant for 24 years, I think I'm glad to be away from one' River admitted, glad to be somewhere different for a change. 

The Doctor then began to rummage in the bag for something, once she found it she stilled and turned towards River, 'So I've brought you somewhere nice so I'd better finish the rest of my promise...' The Doctor then pulled a large bottle out of the basket, 'Ta-da' She exclaimed as she passed the bottle to River. 

As River examined the bottle she spoke in a happy, yet surprised tone, 'You actually went and brought the champagne, you really know the way to my heart.' 

The Doctor chuckled softly at her wife's words, 'Well I did promise a bottle and this was actually made right here on this planet.'

'Really?' 

'Yeah, there's a massive vineyard a few miles south and they sell different alcohols all over the galaxy.' The Doctor responded.

The answer only added to the list of questions River had, 'So how did you get a bottle then?' 

The Doctor leaned back on her hands as she answered, 'The owner of the vineyard needed my help a while back. He gave the bottle as a gift and said I could come to planet whenever I wanted. He owns most of land here apparently.' 

'I can't believe you're friends with someone who sells alcohol and didn't tell me!'

'If I told you, you'd never leave' The Doctor joked causing River to smirk.

'Do you wanna open it then?' The Doctor asked, now holding a pair of glasses in front of her.

River raised a questioning eyebrow, 'Two glasses? You're feeling adventurous, I thought you didn't like alcohol?'

'I don't but I haven't tried any with the new taste buds so it's worth trying.' The Doctor explained as River poured the champagne into the glasses, the couple then toasted, the glasses clinking at they touched.

The couple then both took a sip of the champagne, River found the drink to be sweet and refreshing but it was obvious that her wife don't agree. As soon as the liquid touched her lips the Doctor's face scrunched up in disgust and she was barely able to swallow it, much to River's amusement. 

'Still not a fan then.' River chuckled as she took the glass from her wife's hand and put it down.

'Nope' The Doctor croaked out in disgust as the taste was still on her tongue.

River then leaned towards the basket and pulled out a smaller bottle, 'Luckily for you, the Tardis knows you too well and packed you some lemonade.' The Doctor took the lemonade gratefully and made a mental note to thank the Tardis later.

The Doctor quickly took a big gulp of her drink to wash the taste away, 'Much better.' She said as the taste had left. 

'So you hungry?' 

River wasn't all that hungry but after seeing all the effort her wife had put in, she decided to tell a white lie, 'Starving. What's on the menu then dear?' 

The Doctor smiled before continuing to rummage in the basket, pulling out containers with some food in, 'Sandwiches, fruit and some cakes.'

'Sounds delicious' River replied as she took a small sandwich from the container, the Doctor went straight for the cakes however.

The couple ate quietly for some time, until the conversation both had been dreading finally came up, 'So, can we talk now?'

'We've been talking all day.' River kept her eyes towards the ground as she flashed a brief, yet false smile.

'You want to know about the library don't you?' The Doctor nodded slowly.

'Go on then, ask your questions'

The Doctor opened her mouth to talk and River could tell she was about to ramble so she quickly put a stop to that, 'One question at a time though.' 

The Doctor went silent for a moment as she thought of what she wanted to ask first.

'Could I have done more to help?' The Doctor asked quietly.

'Oh sweetie, you did all that you could and that's all I could ask for. I know that you blame yourself but there was nothing you could do.'

It was clear that the Doctor didn't believe her wife's words but wanted to ask more, 'Okay, how did you actually manage to get out?'

'Simply put, there was a system malfunction in the computer's memory banks and the system started to break down. CAL managed to protect us from being deleted and she used her remaining power to send us to a different system that was linked to a hologram printer. Somehow it worked and the next thing I knew, I was standing in that library again.' 

'I don't understand.' The Doctor said with a confused look on her face. 

'The system we were sent to had all the data it needed to download us somewhere but I didn't have a body to go back to, so it had to make one. There was a hologram printing machine that was used to make gifts in that daft gift shop, so it printed a body for me and I was downloaded into that.'

The Doctor appeared disheartened as she couldn't make eye contact, 'So I could've done more then.' 

River hated it when her wife felt like this, 'Sweetie you can't keep blaming yourself for what happened. Besides my body couldn't have been saved anyway, I mean I was printed exactly as I was before but I'm essentially just a copy.'

Now it was the Doctor's turn to reassure her wife as she couldn't stand it when River felt worthless, 'You're not a copy. You're Professor River Song the brilliant archaeologist, part-time thief and my wife. And you are incredible.' The couple both had tears forming in their eyes at this point and it didn't take long before the two were sharing a passionate kiss, with River gripping her wife's hands tightly and the Doctor cupping River's face as they both wanted to show the other how much they mattered. 

After some time the couple managed to tear themselves apart, foreheads resting together. 

'What did you do after I died? After I left Darillium I mean.' River whispered.

'I mourned for you. I cried for you. I even got a job as a teacher to take my mind off losing you. I just wished I could've done more.' The confession left the pair silent for a moment. 

River broke the silence first, 'We can't keep doing this.' She said, closing her eyes. 'You have to stop blaming yourself over things you couldn't control'

'And you need to stop believe that you don't matter'

River opened her eyes and gave a soft smile, 'Maybe we should both stop thinking those things then. Agreed?'

'Agreed' 

The Doctor looked out of the corner of her eye and the sight she saw caused her eyes to light up in wonder, 'Look.' River turned her head slightly to see what her wife was talking about, the sky had gotten darker and the fields were beginning to glow as millions of fireflies began to light up, one by one. 

The light they gave off was reflected in Doctor's eyes, making them shine brightly. River was sure that she had never seen the Doctor look so beautiful as she did in that moment. River leaned back from the Doctor, placing a soft kiss on her cheek as she did so which cause the Doctor to blush. The couple looked at the view around them in awe of the beauty before them. 

The Doctor then lay down, pulling her wife close again as River placed her hand on the Doctor's chest as they watched the sight above them. They lay there for a long time in a comfortable silence, still hand-in-hand as the fireflies rose up to light the sky with their bright star-like glow.


	6. My Past, Her Present, Our Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> River and the Doctor tell each other some stories about their pasts and River learns something about the latest compaions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I wasn't intended on continuing this fic but I just couldn't stay away! I'm not sure what direction I want to take this in though, so any ideas or feedback is welcomed.
> 
> Anyway I hope you all enjoy reading this chapter.

I missed this.' The Doctor whispered as she held River comfortably in her arms.

'Me too. I wish we could just stay here like this forever.' River said sounding a little distant as she gazed up at the illuminated sky.

'I do have a Tardis remember? So we could stay as long you want.'

'You wouldn't be able to stay still in one place for that long.' River chuckled.

'Hey! I stayed on Darillium for 24 years, that's the longest I've stayed in one place since...'

The smile on the Doctor's face faltered as she became lost in her own memories, unable to finish her sentence. 

'Galifrey' River finished as she turned in her wife's arms in order to look at her properly. 

'You really miss it don't you?'

The Doctor nodded her head lightly as she absentmindedly moved her gaze from her wife back up to the stars above them.

'I may not have always fit in there but it was where I grew up and where I first learned to be the person I am now.' The Doctor said sadly.

'It was your home.' 

'I wish you could have seen it River. You would have loved it. It was just so full...' The Doctor said wistfully as she trailed off. 

'Full?' River questioned, her brow furrowed in confusion.

'Full of life. Full of energy. Full of hope. It had this atmosphere like you wouldn't believe, it was as if the very essence of time was filtered into the air. You could just feel it, buzzing around you constantly like electricity.' 

The Doctor smiled to herself at the memory.

'It sounds pretty incredible.'

'It really was.' The Doctor said softly. 

'It sounds a lot better than Leadworth anyway.' River joked. 

'Oh I don't know about that, the best sweet shop in the galaxy was in Leadworth you know.' The Doctor replied, a smile returning to her face.

'It was until I got banned anyway.' 

'How much did you take?' The Doctor asked without hesitation. River felt offended momentarily and was about to disagree when she realised it was pointless as it seemed that her wife just knew her too well.

'Just one bag... or two... or ten.'

The Doctor just gave her wife a pointed look, before rolled her eyes in exasperation.

'Fine! I stole everything I could carry and all of the jelly babies.' River confessed.

'Good choice of sweets at least.'

'In my defence though, mum helped me do it so you can't blame it all on me.'

The Doctor stared down at River in disbelief.

_Amy wouldn't do something like that, would she?_

'Really? Amy helped you to steal from a 68 year old woman?'

'Well, she didn't know she was helping at the time. Amy just wanted to ask about a Saturday job which gave me the perfect opportunity to jump over the counter, pick the lock to the back room and just take what I wanted. Mrs McCready didn't even know what hit her.'

'What?' River asked as she noticed her wife staring at her rather strangely.

'I'm both scared of you and incredibly attracted to you right now.' The Doctor said bluntly.

'Scared and horny? Good combination to feel.' River chuckled before starting to shift from her comfortable position. 

'And on that note, we should probably get back to the Tardis.'

'Good idea.' The Doctor replied before moving from underneath her wife to stand up. Once standing, she offered a hand to help River up which she gladly accepted with a smile. 

Neither one of them wanted to part after sharing such an intimate evening so they remained holding each others hand as they began their short stroll down the hillside, the Doctor carrying the picnic basket in her free hand.

'So any ideas where you want to go next?' The Doctor asked, breaking the comfortable silence that had started to fall.

'Not really but I'd like to go back to the University at some point if that's okay.' 

Whilst River was never the sort to ask for permission to do anything, she deemed it appropriate to ask just this once. Especially since a lack of vortex manipulator meant that she had no other means of transport. 

'Of course that's fine with me.' River gave a smile in thanks.

'But if you don't know where to go first I could always introduce you to my new friends.' The Doctor suggested.

'I didn't know you had any of those.' Rived teased.

'Ha ha, very funny.' The Doctor said dryly.

'I'm only teasing dear, I would love to meet your friends. Especially the pretty girl.'

'How do you know about Yaz?' The Doctor questioned, her face once again scrunching up in confusion.

'I didn't. You just always bring a pretty girl with you so I just guessed.'

 _Oh. This is dangerous territory now._ The Doctor thought as the couple reached the Tardis.

'So you think this Yaz is pretty then?' River asked nonchalantly as she walked through the door and hesded towards the console.

The Doctor gulped as her mind raced to find a suitable answer.

 _Yep. I'm in trouble now._ She thought as closed the heavy door behind her. 

'Ummm.... what answer is less likely to get me in trouble?' The Doctor asked as she put the picnic basket down and leaned against the console, hoping that her wife would give her some help here.

River only laughed at the Doctor's attempt to get out of the situation.

'I'm not giving you any hints, that's not fair. So come on then, what's your answer?'

Realising that there was no way out of amswering the Doctor had no choice but to try and come up with something.

'Well what does the word pretty mean is what you should be asking. But from an objective point of view I believe that all life forms are pretty great so in that sense I guess one could say she was pretty...' The Doctor trailed off, scratching her head nervously as she looked at River to gauge her reaction.

'Nice try.' River said with a wicked grin as she stared at her wife. 

'Tardis dear, can you show me the new lot?' River asked without breaking eye contact with her wife, the smirk leaving her face either.

The Doctor's panicked and quickly pointed up at the console as sternly as possible.

'No don't you dar-' 

Images of the latest companions lit up the screens surrounding the console, River took a quick glance at each one before coming across a photo of a familar police officer.

'Told you there's always a pretty girl. And a police offer at that!' River laughed.

'You're my ship, you're supposed to be on my side you know.' The Doctor said in an annoyed tone as looked up at the ship. All she got in return was another repetitive thrumming that mimicked laughter. 

'Unbelievable.' She uttered under her breath. 

During the Doctor's brief rant River had moved over to look at the different screens in order to see the other companions in more detail.

'Looks like there's a pretty boy as well, it's nice to see you're expanding your horizons after all.' River teased as she gestured towards the photo.

'Grandad may be a little old for me though.' River said absentmindedly as she considered the potential opportunities concerning the companions. 

'Hello? You have a wife right here you know.' The Doctor exclaimed, drawing River's attention once again, as she gestured up and down her body.

'We're hardly conventional though. Besides I don't mind sharing.' River saod with a wink.

'So why did you give me such a hard time about Yaz then?' The Doctor asked sounding exasperated.

'I like to watch you squirm.' River smirked.

'You're just plain evil, you know that right?'

'Well you always did like a bad girl. I wonder if that copper does too?' River asked, mischief in her eyes.

'This isn't a dating agency you know?'

'Really? And here's me thinking you brought all those pretty people on board for my benefit.' River chuckled.

'That's not really my first thought, no.' The Doctor laughed softly now that she felt able to relax again. 

'So what are they called then, these friends of yours?' River asked, sounding genuinely curious now.

'There's Ryan, his Grandad Graham and Yazmin, but her friends call her Yaz so I get to call her Yaz instead.' The Doctor said proudly as she pointed out each of her friends. 

'Well they all seem nice enough. Shall we get going then? You can fly this time, or at least attempt to fly.' River smirked as she gripped onto the handrail.

The Doctor just decided to stick her tongue out in response. 

'Okay. Setting co-ordinates for Earth 2019.' 

And with a pull of a lever, the Tardis was once again sent into the vortex.


	7. Nothing Unknown That I Will Not Explore

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team meet River and end up going on an adventure!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After replaying tomb raider and watching the remake, how could we not go on an adventure!?
> 
> Anyway hope you all enjoy!

It was quiet for once in the O'Brien/Sinclair household. Any arguments had recently simmered down to just occasional bickering, mainly due to the bond that the two men now shared was more like family rather than enemy. 

The peaceful atmosphere was currently being enjoyed by Ryan and Yaz as they sat on the sofa, eyes glued to their phones as they both took advantage of the rare day off to have a lazy afternoon.

An echoing thrumming then began rang through the living room, causing Ryan and Yaz to share a knowing glance as the excitement of what was to come settled in. 

The thrumming started to quieten as the Tardis became less transparent and the ship materialized...

Right where the table was. 

_Well where the table used to be anyway._

'Finally!' Ryan exclaimed, leaping up off of the sofa, Yaz following soon after. 

The door to the Tardis swung open and the gang saw the familiar blonde who had changed their lives. 

'Hiya gang, just thought I'd pop by.' The Doctor said cheerily as she stepped out of the Tardis. 

'My table!' Graham shouted in despair as he walked into the living room, carrying a cup of tea. 

Following his line of sight the Doctor looked down to see that she was currently standing on top of the remnants of a coffee table, the wood creaking and splintering even further as she unintentionally shifted her weight with the realisation.

'I thought we'd been through this Doc, you should always land the Tardis _outside_ of the house.'

The Doctor gave Graham an apologetic look.

'The Doctor: Destroyer of Furniture since the dawn of time.' River suddenly chirped in from behind the Doctor, laughing at her wife.

The Doctor blushed red in embarrassment and turned to speak through the doorway, 'Shut up you!'

'Is somebody with you Doctor?' Yaz questioned, as she peered behind the Doctor to try and find the mysterious voice. 

'Ooh is that the copper? Invite her in.' River chuckled. 

_Now Yaz wasn't expecting that._

Yaz could only look to Ryan in confusion before stuttering out, 'Excuse me?'

The Doctor chose to ignore the group's confusion as she knew that everything would make sense soon. 

'Come on in guys, there's someone I want you to meet.' The Doctor said as she turned back into the Tardis, leaving the group to follow her cautiously. 

The group stepped aboad the ship and immediately noticed that they weren't alone. 

Normally they would have been very concerned by the arrival of a stranger, but the huge grin that appeared on the Doctor's as she approached the woman put them all at ease. 

The Doctor then put her arm around the woman's back as she addressed her confused companions, 

'Everyone I'd like you to meet my wife, River Song, who was recently brought back from the dead and-'

'Wife!' 'Back from the dead!' 'What kind of name is River Song?' The trio cried out. 

As the group figured out what they had all said, Yaz turned to give a pointed look at Ryan, 'Really? Her name? That's the part that you're concerned about.' She said shaking her head as Ryan just shrugged his shoulders as the comment. 

'You never told us you were married Doc.' Graham said, breaking the silence. 

'Why am I not surprised?' River exclaimed as she rolled her eyes, and if she had rolled them any harder they would've fallen out. 

'Anyway... gang, River. River, gang.'

'It's nice to meet you River.' Yaz said, sticking her hand out. 

'Oh the pleasure's all mine.' River purred as she shook Yaz's hand before winking at the woman.

'River...' The Doctor warned. 

'You're no fun.' River chuckled, as the companions stood there dumbstruck about what just happened.

'I am plenty of fun I'll have you know.' The Doctor said defensively. 

The Doctor regretted her response rhe minute she said it as she knew that River would only take her words as a challenge . 

'Prove it then, oldtimer.'

How could the Doctor back down from that? 

'I'll show you oldtimer!' The Doctor said grinning as she began to input co-ordinates onto a screen. 

'Um Doc... where are we actually going?' Graham asked nervously which then reminded the Doctor that she wasn't alone with her wife anymore.

She flashed a wild grin at the companions before pulling the lever. 

'You'll see.'

The Tardis whirred back to life as it dematerialised and roughly flew through the vortex, causing the companions to quickly grab onto the nearest thing to steady themselves. 

River just threw her head back as she roared with laughter.

The trio of companions shared anxious looks and held onto the railings for dear life. 

But as soon as the Tardis had come to life, a loud thump sounded and the familair groaning of the engines echoed out. 

'So where are we then?' Ryan asked, as the Tardis quietened down. 

'Kalgoria- a planet known for its hidden treasures that were left behind by the native species when they mysteriously vanished. The perfect place for exploring.' 

The trio of companions didn't look convinced. 

'Perfect? Didn't you say the locals disappeared?' Graham asked uncertainly. 

'Yeah but it's just a legend or something, right Doc?' Ryan said, looking at the Doctor for reassurance. 

'Well...' 

The group just stared at each other, unsure of what to do next. 

'I thought you said this lot were up for an adventure.' River chimed in, as she walked past everybody to open the Tardis door, the bright sunshine shining though before the door closed quickly behind her. 

The Doctor looked at the group with pleading eyes, practically begging them to come with her. 

'Fine! Let's go then, but if I die I am so coming back to haunt you.' Graham warned, pointing his finger menacingly at the Doctor. 

'Great! Me and ghost Graham will have a blast so that's fine with me.' The Doctor said completely unfazed as she made her way out of the ship.

As soon as she opened the door, the humid air hit her immediately, causing the Doctor to take off her beloved coat and her team to take off their jackets before hanging everything up. 

As the team exited for the second time, they were able to take in their surroundings.

They had landed amongst a deep forest that seemed to be teeming with wildlife, the calls and chirps filtering through the air. 

'River?' The Doctor wondered aloud, scanning the dense forest for her wife before spotting a head of golden curls in the distance. 

'Woah! Yaz check that out.' Ryan shouted, pointing towards a large momument that towered above the treetops.

'Why do I feel like I'm Lara Croft right now?' Yaz joked. 

'I know right! I mean I would've said Indiana Jones but this is so cool.'

'Lara Croft could kick Indy's ass anyday.' 

'Not a chance!' Ryan said, mimicking the signature whip movement, with the sound effects as well of course. 

'For the record, River could beat both of them, but I wouldn't mention them to her if I were you.' The Doctor warned. 

'Why?' Ryan asked. 

'She thinks they're both unrealistic. She an archaeologist by the way.'

The revelation didn't really surprise the group, because when they thought about it River was like the movie acheologists in real life. Better even. 

'So you're both interested in time then.' Graham said. 

'I guess but from different points of view, she likes to discover history and I prefer to live it. Although she tends to time travel too so she's always finding herself tangled in history anyway.'

Speaking of the archaeologist, River suddenly appeared through the thick vines ahead of them all and shouted, 'Over here!' as she beckoned the group to follow her. 

The Doctor cast the vines to one side and the group sudennly found out why River called them over.

'Holy Tomb Raider!' Yaz exclaimed.

The group stood in front of what apppeared to be a temple entrance. The temple was crumbling slightly as most ruins do and vines ran along the stone but the markings were still unmistakable, they clearly portrayed some kind of creature that was supposed to deter any potential thieves. 

Not that they ever stopped River of course. 

River stepped towards rhe door and ran her hand across rhe stone markings. After a few seconds of deciphering, she smirked as she pressed a symbol which then slide inwards. 

The temple theb began to creak and groan as the huge, stone doorway slid across the floor to reveal a large, dark corridoor.

Graham seemed to be the most apprehensive as he stared at the giant temple.

'Please tell me we're not goin-'

'-we're going inside.' River interuppted as she stepped in the temple, not even hesitating and the rest of the group followed her soon after.

'This is a bad idea.' Graham said nervously.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Kudos and comments are appreciated!


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